Pat Quinn the new coach AND GM of the Sens?

According to Dregger and Bill Waters (don't like him, don't respect his opinion), they both say that there is a strong rumour that Quinn would take over as both coach and GM of the Sens.

It would be a Melnyk hire.

That would be quite a move, for sure.

He was GM/coach with the Leafs. Remind me again why he became *just* the coach? Usually becoming GM full-time is what happens, or promotion from coach to GM. But when someone is a GM and he stops being one, usually that's not interpreted as a positive.

Too bad Melnyk didn't own this team before the lockout. He's trying to do it as they do in Toronto....ugh....maybe we should start asking if we have the right owner sometime soon....he seems to have more than just a 'vested interest' in this team.

504Heater wrote:According to Dregger and Bill Waters (don't like him, don't respect his opinion), they both say that there is a strong rumour that Quinn would take over as both coach and GM of the Sens.

It would be a Melnyk hire.

No thanks. As a GM, he had little success in Toronto with an unlimited budget. I really wonder how he'd be able to adjust to a cap world.

As a coach, he's a great hockey man, but as I have said before, I think any decisions regarding a coaching change needs to wait until the direction of this club's future is resolved. Right now, we are spinning our wheels. Made a damn decision already, either rebuild, or make moves to try to make this team better right now.

Leaf Nation 2.0 here we come....

I agree with Hemlock, we need a direction to move on.

Personally, I'd like to see a mini rebuild now, with the finishing touches this summer. A guy like Quinn might help with the prima donnas, but would do nothing for the structural pieces missing (PMD).

Number Twenty Nine wrote:Leaf Nation 2.0 here we come....

I agree with Hemlock, we need a direction to move on.

Personally, I'd like to see a mini rebuild now, with the finishing touches this summer. A guy like Quinn might help with the prima donnas, but would do nothing for the structural pieces missing (PMD).

I prefer Murray over Quinn for a rebuild of any sort. Murrays drafting record is far better than Quinn's. Quinn is a good coach but not a great GM.

Snuh wrote:

Number Twenty Nine wrote:Leaf Nation 2.0 here we come....

I agree with Hemlock, we need a direction to move on.

Personally, I'd like to see a mini rebuild now, with the finishing touches this summer. A guy like Quinn might help with the prima donnas, but would do nothing for the structural pieces missing (PMD).

I prefer Murray over Quinn for a rebuild of any sort. Murrays drafting record is far better than Quinn's. Quinn is a good coach but not a great GM.

wot eye sed

Agreed with both of you. His GM record is suspect. I don't know though if I like the idea of a mini rebuild. Who stays and who goes? Let's face facts here, we aren't getting much in the way of return for guys like Neil and Kelly. Vermette may fetch us something decent, but I don't think that really gets us much further ahead.

I think if rebuild is the option Melnyk chooses, he'll have to cut into the core to do it right, ie. Phillips, Fisher, Spezza

In the past I have been critical on Quinn's approach to using younger players (unless he's had no choice due to injury), but I really like how he's run this team at the WJC. He's made some really smart decisions, like double-shifting Tavares to get the team going after falling behind.

hemlock wrote:Agreed with both of you. His GM record is suspect. I don't know though if I like the idea of a mini rebuild. Who stays and who goes? Let's face facts here, we aren't getting much in the way of return for guys like Neil and Kelly. Vermette may fetch us something decent, but I don't think that really gets us much further ahead.

I think if rebuild is the option Melnyk chooses, he'll have to cut into the core to do it right, ie. Phillips, Fisher, Spezza

In the past I have been critical on Quinn's approach to using younger players (unless he's had no choice due to injury), but I really like how he's run this team at the WJC. He's made some really smart decisions, like double-shifting Tavares to get the team going after falling behind.

I think you're going to be shocked at what Neil's value is. Now that I've seen Fisher and Foligno with him, I would love to re-sign him for the same as Ruutu, but if we move him, he's absolutely invaluable to a team heading to the playoffs. Rugged, hard-checking, can fight. He needs to be consistent on hitting every shift and forechecking hard, but the new Neil we've seen recently is a tougher to play against, smarter player.

I bet we get a real nice pick, player or prospect for him.

As for Quinn, I like him as Ottawa's coach, but not as GM. I laughed outloud when Pierre called him a smart coach for double shifting Tavares. Hmmm...who should I double shift? The best junior player in the world or some other guy....tough one.

504Heater wrote:According to Dregger and Bill Waters (don't like him, don't respect his opinion), they both say that there is a strong rumour that Quinn would take over as both coach and GM of the Sens.

It would be a Melnyk hire.

Probably formulated this "strong rumour" from how chummy they seemed at the World Juniors. I drew the same conclusion just by seeing them together.

Only I was thinking more that the only thing keeping Hartsburg employed is Pat Quinn's current lack of availability. Quinn as GM never dawned on me mostly because I would fear for the future of our franchise prospects with Quinn as GM.

I'd love to see him coach this team. He was exactly the type that should have been hired in the first place (my first choice would have been Tortorella). The Senators bench needs an ego that will dwarf even the Big 3 combined!

Quinn as GM = Nightmare

Quinn as Coach = Bliss

Here's the problem. The Palladorelbank Place Centre ain't big enough for Murray AND Quinn. I'm not sure I like any of this...

Hmm, I never thought of Quinn as having an ego. Not any more than any number of people involved in this league, anyway. What he did do very well is deflect attention from his players, very often by saying outrageous things in his pressers. Sure, you could interpret that as wanting the spotlight and, hence, a big ego, but I think you should seriously consider that a Master's Level tactic in keeping the attention away from his players.

If he was here last year, I'm not sure anyone would even know what Emery was driving.

I can't see Murray or Hartsburg being ousted just yet. If there is NO official direction announced and next year is a carbon-copy of the past 2, then it's so long...

Cronenbergfan wrote:I can't see Murray or Hartsburg being ousted just yet. If there is NO official direction announced and next year is a carbon-copy of the past 2, then it's so long...

The official direction is top-four finish. While I think even Melnyk realizes that is not an achievable goal, the expectation is there for a fairly significant turnaround. What would he have to pay to fire Murray and Hartsburg, anyway? Cap or no cap, a million bucks is still no chump change.

wprager wrote:Hmm, I never thought of Quinn as having an ego.

OK. Let's just say he knows that the coach is the guy who runs the team and he knows how to establish that relationship with the players.

As for Melnyk, I doubt that he wants to eat any contracts, player or management. But he's already getting a taste of the fans low tolerance for mediocrity, I believe, and that hurts the bottom line more than a couple of management contracts.

wprager wrote:Hmm, I never thought of Quinn as having an ego. Not any more than any number of people involved in this league, anyway. What he did do very well is deflect attention from his players, very often by saying outrageous things in his pressers. Sure, you could interpret that as wanting the spotlight and, hence, a big ego, but I think you should seriously consider that a Master's Level tactic in keeping the attention away from his players.

If he was here last year, I'm not sure anyone would even know what Emery was driving.

Good point. One thing Quinn has always been good at is taking the heat off the players by drawing it to himself. I remember saying to myself many, many times during his Leafs tenure, "What a whiner!"